January 24, 2021

St. Ambrose St. Matthew St. Sylvester Avonmore Saltsburg Slickville

PARTNER PARISHES OF THE DIOCESE OF GREENSBURG

A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust

Our Mission Statement

The Partner Parishes of St. Ambrose, St. Matthew & St. Sylvester, under

the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are committed to be witnesses of Christ in

our local and faith communities . We invite one another to grow in a spirit

of friendship and unity through the Word and the Eucharist. While striving

to nourish our faith families, we encourage Evangelization, Service,

Worship, Stewardship, and Leadership.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Confessions: First Saturday of the month, 11:00-11:30 AM at St. Ambrose or by appointment with the Pastor.

Baptisms: Please contact the parish office to schedule a date and formation session..

Marriage: Please contact the office at least six months before the wedding date to schedule marriage preparation sessions..

Pastoral Care to the Homebound: Please contact the parish office..

Eucharistic Adoration: First Thursday of the month, 6:30-7:30 PM. All are welcome.

RCIA: If you or someone you know is interested in becoming Roman Catholic, please contact the parish office.

St. Vincent de Paul Hotline: Please contact the parish office. St. Vincent de Paul poor boxes are at entrances of all partner parishes.

Bulletin Deadline: Please submit bulletin information via email or in written form to Angela Palmiscno at the parish office by Wednesday noon.

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM—St. Ambrose Sunday Masses 8:30 AM—St. Sylvester 11:00 AM—St. Matthew Weekday Masses: Mon.—8:30 AM, St. Sylvester Tues.— 8:30 AM, St. Matthew Fri.— 8:30 AM, St. Ambrose PARISH OFFICES & HOURS St. Ambrose, St. Matthew & St. Sylvester P. O. Box 617 Avonmore, PA 15618

Monday—Friday 9:00 AM—1:00 PM

Phone: 724-697-4129 Fax: 724-697-4484

St. Matthew Church Hall: 724-639-9338

St. Sylvester Rectory Phone: 724-468-5794 Fax and church hall: 724-468-5765

PASTORAL STAFF

Reverend John Harrold, Pastor

jharrold@dioceseofgreensburg.org

Deacon Craig Gilbert

cgilbert@dioceseofgreensburg.org

Angela Palmiscno, Partner Parish Secretary

apalmiscno@dioceseofgreensburg.org

Dana Summerhill, Partner Parish Financial Secretary

dsummerhill@dioceseofgreensburg.org

Kristin Andree, Partner Parish Web Coordinator

krisandree@comcast.net

Jessica Clawson, Coordinator of Faith Formation,

St. Matthew, 724-875-0638 or jgallek@gmail.com

Connie Shannon, Clearances Coordinator, 724-697-4059

Knights of Columbus—Council #15373

Website: partnerparishesmas.org

A Warm Welcome to All

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES Blessings to all our Partner Parish family members who are celebrating a birthday this week: Linda Belice, Tricia Grimm, Tracy Trybus, Justin Kerchensky, Rudolph Battistelli, Jody DeMase, Alan DeMase, Clare McQuaide, Mary Beth Novak

Happy Anniversary to all couples celebrating an anniversary this week:

Michael & Cathy Seniow

Diocesan Coat of Arms

ST. MATTHEW ALTAR ROSARY SOCIETY invites you to join in prayer Friday, January 29th (Pro-

Life March) to pray the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary. You may do so from home or work. We are hoping for pledges of 30 minutes per person. Please call Elvia Eckenrode at 724-639-9410 to reserve your time. Thank you.

TIME TO MAKE THE PIEROGIS - We will be making pierogis on Monday, February 1st at 9:00

AM & continue on Mondays through March, weather permitting. Volunteers from all 3 parishes are welcome. Masks need to be worn and we will spread out in the hall. Looking forward to seeing all of you again!

PIEROGI & FISH LENTEN TAKE-OUT - We have received permission to plan our Pierogi and Fish

Lenten Dinner for this year. Until anything changes, we will only be doing take-outs. Dinners will begin on Ash Wednesday, February 17th and then every Lenten Friday until March 26th. Anyone interested in helping to volunteer to work the dinners is invited to our Planning Meeting, this Thursday, January 28th at 6:30 PM in the St. Matthew Social Hall. Please wear your masks.

MISSION COOPERATION PLAN APPEAL Our congregation, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, was founded in Ireland in 1924 by Bishop Joseph Shanahan, S.C.Sp. For the education of the women of Nigeria, West Africa. We now are an international community working in nine countries of Africa and in Brazil, South America. We serve in all forms of education, medical work, pastoral work, local development and agriculture and assisting trafficked women and the homeless. We have been serving in the AIDS, Ebola and Covid-19 epidemics. Our pressing need at the moment is to construct a convent for our Sisters running a clinic in Efofe, Kogi State, Nigeria. Our Superior General and Council asked us to raise funds to build a convent. For us it is an urgent need. Your help, large or small, will be very much appreciated. Collection will be taken this weekend , January 23rd & 24th. Envelopes are available at the entrances of our churches. We also ask for prayers for the safety of the Sisters as this is an area which can be attacked by Boko Haram or Fulani herdsmen. For more information please visit www.mshr.org.

ASH WEDNESDAY

Providing for the safety and welfare of the faithful has necessitated many modifications to our ritual practices. To reduce the risk of transmitting the coronavirus, it is not permitted this year to “sign” the faithful with ashes in the customary fashion. Rather, on Ash Wednesday the tradition of being marked with ashes will take place in a different fashion, through a Sprinkling with Ashes.

Sprinkling with Ashes is a custom observed in many countries throughout the world. The minister, using their thumb and index finger, secures a pinch of ashes from the vessel containing the ashes. Without using words, the minister then sprinkles these ashes on the heads of the recipients.

Through this ancient practice we witness to our intention to undertake penitential practices during these Lenten Days. We join with the whole Church throughout the world in acknowledging our need for continuing conversion. We express our hope and firm conviction that through Christ’s victory over sin and death our tears shall one day be turned to rejoicing.

Mass Intentions for the Week

PLACE TIME INTENTION OFFERED BY

Saturday January 23 St. Ambrose 5:00 PM For the Parishioners

Sunday January 24 St. Sylvester 8:30 AM +Robert Shusko (Anthony & MaryAnn

Damico)

Sunday January 24 St. Matthew 11:00 AM +Evo “Butch” Prenni (Lew Prenni, Jr., &

Family)

Monday January 25 St. Sylvester 8:30 AM +Stan Kanick (Charlie & Marilyn Angell)

Tuesday January 26 St. Matthew 8:30 AM +Wilma & Remo Rudolph (Jeff & Ramona Taylor)

Friday January 29 St. Ambrose 8:30 AM +Josephine Pontoli (Julie Sieczkowski)

Saturday January 30 St. Ambrose 5:00 PM +Kathleen Sharek (Mike Sharek)

Sunday January 31 St. Sylvester 8:30 AM +Betty Maruca (Laura Cindric Family)

Sunday January 31 St. Matthew 11:00 AM For the Parishioners

DATE

FISH/PIEROGI DINNER COMMITTEE WILL MEET ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 28TH AT 6:30 PM AT

ST. MATTHEW.

SVDP WILL MEET ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 1ST AT 6:00 PM IN THE MEETING ROOM AT

ST. SYLVESTER.

PARTNER PARISHES STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE Sunday Offertory: January 16-17

St. Ambrose St. Matthew St. Sylvester

Offertory Collection: $ 975.00 $ 641.00 $ 972.00

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Written in the period after the exile to Babylon, the Book of Jonah is a prophecy to the Jews returning home.

Ancient prophecies were intended to call God’s people back to faithfulness. They often contained indictments of

neighboring powers that defied God by conquering God’s people. So it is not unusual that Jonah would be

directed to pronounce doom on Nineveh, capital of Assyria. That nation had conquered the northern kingdom of

Israel in an earlier period of Israel’s history—722 years before the birth of Christ.

The Book of Jonah is unusual, however, because the Ninevites believe Jonah immediately and repent. No

prophet to the Jews had such instantaneous success. Isaiah was warned that the people wouldn’t believe (Isaiah

6:8-10); Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern (Jeremiah 38): Ezekial found the Israelites rebellious (Ezekiel 3:27).

But the Ninevites changed their ways. More astounding—God repents of the punishment that was intended.

This had happened before, but rarely (Exodus 32:18 is a notable example). It had never happened with

non-Jews and sworn enemies of Israel. If we read further, we find that Jonah becomes very angry with God for

this.

How does this story prophesy to Jews after the exile and bring them back to faithfulness? How does it

prophesy to us? The story of Jonah speaks eloquently to the constancy of God as one who is “slow to anger and

rich in kindness and fidelity” (Exodus 34:6; Jonah 4:2). It also draws on a theology of creation that understands

God as Lord of all. Whoever turns to God is gathered in love. Finally, the story cautions against putting

boundaries on God’s care and concern. Israel cannot claim God exclusively for itself. No nation can. Jonah’s

story suggests that if God cares for the enemies of Israel so much, then God will care for Israel that much more.

(Matthew 6:26 makes a similar point.) The prophecy of Jonah teaches that God is not bound by human notions of

judgment and justice and that we do not have exclusive rights to God’s mercy and love.

How do we counteract the idea that we are more favored by God than others?

IN SYMPATHY: Our Partner Parish family extends their deepest sympathy to the families of Rose Zupancic, Michael Palmisiano, Joseph Ukish, and Ronald (Dean) Corridoni, who died recently. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

END OF YEAR STATEMENTS for 2020 will be mailed out by the end of the month. If you find a discrepancy, please call the office or email Dana (dsummerhill@dioceseofgreensburg.org). As a reminder, anyone who gave $250 or more for the DLA will get a separate letter from the Diocese.

WE ARE CALLED TO CONTINUE GOD’S WORK ON EARTH BY CARING FOR THE POOR AND

NEEDY. BY YOUR GIFT TO ST. VINCENT DEPAUL, YOU ARE

LIVING GOSPEL VALUES.

SERVING OUR COUNTRY. Please pray for our men and women in the military: MSgt Matthew Leightner, Col. Ross Monta, John Newcomb, Master Sgt. Jeremy Morgan, Ryan Nagg, Daniel Henderson, Tech. Sgt. Justin Morgan, Tyler Carnahan, Bartholomew Marsh-Slavin, Jacob DeSanders, W01 Jacob Berg (Afghanistan), Brandon May, Tyler Kunkle (Afghanistan), Mark Novak, Martin Novak, Jr., Specialist John Angelo Stibrik

OUR PRAYER LIST—FRIENDS AND FAMILY: Paul & Charlotte Alsippi, Ally Anderson, Charles Mark Angell, Jerry Bowman, Tom Clouser, Luke Dobrosky, Ray Dobrosky, Donald Gabor, John Galo, Rachael Garzone, Edith Hollick, George Hollick, Larry Klukaszewski, Gary Lemon, Virginia Long, Sandra & Greg Metzler, Alison Michaels, Mary Musial, Joanne Neiderhiser, Chris Nemchik, Carole Novosel, Joe & Ethel Palmiscno, Bill Rupert, Fred Salo, Ed Shaffer, Judy Valore, Jenny Lou Wincek, and all who need our prayers.

ADDITIONAL ENVELOPES IN JANUARY’S ENVELOPE PACKET In addition to the normal Sunday, specific parish, St. Vincent de Paul and Food Bank envelopes for the month, the parishes could really use your generous support for the following extra collections this month:

- FEAST OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD - PARISH FACILITIES AND UTILITIES SUPPORT - ST VINCENT DE PAUL - FOOD BANK

- MONTHLY - RELIGIOUS FORMATION